June
17, 2004
In
this issue:
I. The Ultimate Success Formula
II. Top
Ten Ways to be Effective When Working at Home
II. From behind the barn door…
I. The
Ultimate Success Formula
About ten years ago, I was working
through Tony Robbins' Personal Power program (I still go through it
once a year or so), and one of the strategies that he teaches has really
made a difference in my life. It's called the Ulitmate Success Formula
and there are four steps:
1. Know
your outcome.
2. Decide to take action.
3. Notice what's working and what's not.
4. If it's not working, change your approach.
Simple, right? Well, it is for the most part. But sometimes we get stuck
on doing something the "right" way, which may in actuality
only be our way, not necessarily the best way, of doing something. And
we end up banging our heads against the same walls.
Here's an
example:
I want to lose 10 pounds. That's my outcome. So I decide that I am going
to run two miles every day and be more careful about what I'm eating.
After two weeks, I have lost 1 pound. That's ok, but I'd like to lose
it a bit faster than that. So, I take a look at what I'm doing. If I
run three miles every day, that will burn more calories, and therefore
I should lose more weight. And if I stop eating popcorn (the good kind
cooked on the stove with lots of oil) five nights a week, I would cut
calories, and therefore I should lose more weight. I make those changes,
and voila - I start losing 1 pound per week. Because I was willing to
take stock at a reasonably place in the process of the change I wanted
to make, I was able to make adjustments so I could reach my desired
outcome successfully.
What happens is that most of us will keep doing the same thing over
and over, keep getting the same results, and then give up because it's
not working. If it's not working, we have to change our approach.
What's frustrating you in your life where, if you took a step back,
assessed what wasn't working, and changed it UNTIL it was working, would
make you a happier you?
II. Top
Ten Ways to be Effective When Working at Home
Here's another
Top Ten from Thomas Leonard. I love this one!
1. Set
deadlines that have negative consequences if you miss them.
~ When you have to get something done, you usually do.
2. Have a buddy, colleague, coach, or staff member who keeps you focused.
~ Rely on others to help you stay focused and productive.
3. If you don't love what you do, change it so that you do.
~ If you love your work, you don't need to try to stay focused, because
you naturally will be.
4. Develop a routine - or don't.
~ Some folks work better with a schedule, others don't. Get to know
your style and preference.
5. Train your family members what work time means.
~ If that doesn't work, lock the home office door.
6. Make your home office absolutely perfect.
~ A great home office will help you stay focused.
7. Keep your beverages and snacks close at hand.
~ If you leave your home office to go to the refrigerator, you may
get distracted by what's going on in the rest of the house.
8. Set daily goals.
~ Having something definite to accomplish every day can help you accomplish
the bigger tasks in smaller bites.
9. Get off to a great start for the day.
~ Whether it's a walk, time with the paper, or a cup of coffee or
tea, have your getting started routine be something that you genuinely
like.
10. Have something interesting to work on for the next day.
~ The day before, plan something exciting for your first task of the
day.
I'm pretty good with about half of these things, and now I know what
I need to work on. How about you?
III.
From behind the barn door…
All is well here at the barn. We are moments away from heading north
to my parents' cottage on a lake in NH, and I am very much looking forward
to it. We're going to celebrate Father's Day with my dad, and maybe
with a little luck, by the end of the weekend, I'll have a nephew or
niece to welcome into the world. My sister-in-law is due NOW, so we're
all holding our collective breath. It's the first grandchild for my
parents and I'm going to be the godmother so I am really thrilled. My
mother called earlier this week (she rarely calls as we always email)
and I thought for sure Heli had gone into labor, but no - she needed
help setting up her new laptop. Too funny.
Our cat,
Salem, was having some issues awhile back with licking his fur off his
tummy. I took him to the vet, and he seemed to get better after that,
but now he's at it again. I'm at a loss as to what the issue is, as
otherwise he seems like the happy, healthy cat he always is. I just
wish he could speak!
It
seems catching up from vacation is taking forever, but I do recognize
how beneficial it is to take some true time away. Hope there is some
time in your upcoming summer calendar where you'll be whisking off to
somewhere fun and fabulous!
Cheers ~
Alicia
Alicia
Forest is a Personal & Business Coach serving entrepreneurs and small
business owners in their desire to create a successful business, by
their definition of success. Her coaching programs are delivered by
means of quarterly teleworkshops, monthly teleconference calls, email
and telephone.
You are welcome to pass "Inner Compass ~ Weekly Directional" along to
your colleagues and friends, as long as it is intact. Your recommendation
is how we grow. The author of "Inner Compass ~ Weekly Directional"
is Alicia Forest. Contact her at alicia@innercompasscoaching.com
or at 845-216-8838.
For administrative matters and for information on our coaching programs
and other products and services, contact us at support@innercompasscoaching.com
or at 845-216-8838.
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